


After Hours

by NightshadeDawn



Series: That happened... [66]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But oops, Character Death, F/M, Kinda, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Non-Linear Narrative, Phantom Thief Akechi Goro, Phantom Thief Mishima Yuuki, Spoilers, akechi makes an appaerance, didn't defeat kamoshida first, kinda? he joins the main group of the story, no morgana???, the palace order is gonna be ALL KINDS of screwed up, what???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:22:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23408992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightshadeDawn/pseuds/NightshadeDawn
Summary: They existed in the after hours of everything. What they did could have been considered wrong, people could have said they had loose morals. But in the end, they were just kids who had been hurt, and found a way to fight back, with no one to teach them there was a better way.
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke & Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke & Mishima Yuuki, Kitagawa Yusuke & Sakamoto Ryuji, Kitagawa Yusuke & Takamaki Ann, Kurusu Akira & Mishima Yuuki, Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji/Takamaki Ann, Kurusu Akira/Takamaki Ann, Mishima Yuuki & Sakamoto Ryuji, Mishima Yuuki & Takamaki Ann
Series: That happened... [66]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/760578
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. The Calm

**Author's Note:**

> Based off the prompt: "And he looked at me... like there was something worth looking at."

Sometimes, Akira woke up having dreamt of a blue prison cell. There was a man with a long nose, leering at him from the shadows, and two prison wardens that were little girls. He never remembered them for long, forgetting them within moments of waking up and only remembering snippets of those dreams later on. A blue prison cell, all too similar to the one he’d been put in unjustly. He pushed the memories far away.

The rest of the time, he woke up in the arms of two of the most beautiful people he’d ever met, and everything was alright. His nights were dreamless, and his days were wonderful. If a bit unconventional. 

Everything had started in April, when he’d moved to Tokyo. You know how the story goes. It began to rain his first day of school, and Akira took shelter under an overhang. The most beautiful girl in the world graced him with her presence and beautiful smile, and he felt like a worthless commoner when a wicked king came and kidnapped her away.

Then there was the boy. The one who would change Akira’s life. He was rough around the edges, but it was explicitly clear he had a heart of gold when he continuously put himself in harm’s way, trying to get Akira to run when they ended up in the dungeon of that castle. 

It was no surprise that Akira’s drive to protect Ryuji, just as Ryuji was trying to protect him, brought forth his Persona. 

Akira led him blindly through the maze of dungeon halls. When they came upon a statue with King Kamoshida’s face on it, he pulled down the jaw, remembering the kings of things done in adventure books. The drawbridge lowered, and Akira and Ryuji crossed it, escaping from the dungeons. 

Getting out proved to be a bigger struggle, but they managed to get out of the front doors before they were noticed by the inhuman guards. The smile Ryuji gave him when they made it safely to school and talked up on the rooftop afterwards was worth all the trouble they got into.

Ryuji wanted to go back. He wanted to rescue the volleyball members he’d seen in the other cells. It simply wasn’t fair that Akira was weak to the pouting look, and that bright smile of happiness when he agreed. 

They went back, going deeper and deeper into the dungeons. They didn’t find a cat, monster or otherwise, to guide them. They didn’t find an opening to rescue the slaves from their torture. They couldn’t take pictures as evidence. Instead, Akira paused when an enslaved volleyball player came up to tell them off for trying to free the slaves.

“How can he be here when he’s still at school?” he asked Ryuji. Ryuji’s eyes widened. 

“That’s true… What the hell, man…” 

“Kamoshida didn’t remember yesterday, either,” Akira murmured. 

Ryujis shook his head before banging on the bars. “This don’t make any sense! Ain’t they real!?” Ryuji sucked in a harsh breath. “I’ll just have to memorize their faces!”

Their escape attempt that day was a lot harder than before, with Akira fighting all on his own and quickly becoming exhausted by the time they arrived at the entrance hall. With Akira’s life on the line, Ryuji awakened his Persona and saved the day. 

The same day Shiho Suzui jumped off the school roof, Akira and Ryuji stormed into Kamoshida’s office with Mishima hot on their heels. They’d had _enough_ of the bastard of a teacher- but they had _nothing_. No evidence. Shiho was in a coma, and no one else was going to speak up- or be believed if they did.

Kamoshida promised expulsion for all three. 

“Let’s punish the king,” Akira suggested, talking to Ryuji out in the courtyard. Ann came to them, looking furious but still as beautiful as ever to Akira. 

“You’re going to do something to him, and I want in,” she demanded. 

“It’s none of your damn business!” Ryuji shouted, getting in her face. Ann bravely stood her ground, and Akira took Ryuji’s arm. 

“It was her best friend who tried to die because of him,” Akira said. “She deserves a place. Mishima too.”

“It’ll be dangerous,” Ryuji argued.

“We’ll protect them,” Akira said, his voice full of conviction. 

So Akira and Ryuji collected a bewildered Mishima and a willing Ann and they entered Kamoshida’s castle. 

“We’re not sure how to explain it, but it seems like a completely different world,” Ryuji told them. 

“What’s with the clothes!?” Mishima shrieked, looking them both up and down with wide eyes.

Akira shrugged and Ryuji said “That happens when we come here.” He and Akira turned towards the castle. “C’mon. We’ll show you what Kamoshida thinks of the world.”

Mishima awoke to his persona first, falling to his knees as Kamoshida belittled him from afar. He was talentless… he was weak… the only reason he was kept around was to spread those rumors… 

All things Mishima knew, but these people who were trapped and almost dying had stuck their necks out for him and trusted him enough with this place. And he was _done_ with Kamoshida’s shit.

"They have tarnished your skills and good word,” said the voice rining in his head. Mishima grabbed ahold of the black, web-like mask that had appeared on his face. “They have brought you crumbling to your knees. Come. I am thou... Thou art I... You may fall if you like, I will not stop you. But I shall weave you a spider's thread to catch you again! Rise, and retrieve that which is yours!"

Mishima pulled himself to his feet and closed his eyes, blowing out a slow breath. When he opened them, they were burning like fire. "Come, Anansi!" he shouted, ripping off the mask. A black, skintight suit formed over him, replacing his uniform, a shimmering red heart on his stomach.

“Let’s end this!” Ryuji shouted, charing them into the battle with King Kamoshida’s henchmen. 

They were forced to flee afterwards, too overwhelmed by the mass amount of enemies. But they returned the next day. 

And Ann almost killed Kamoshida the moment she saw what he thought of her. Of Shiho. And of all the other girls. It was enough to awaken her Persona. She would have killed him… but the exhaustion of awakening her Persona forced them to leave again. 

“How will we ever take him down if we can’t even get close to him?” Yuuki questioned after the group met up on the rooftop. 

“We’ll have to keep trying,” Ann insisted.

Ryuji clenched his jaw. “Only a week left until that effin’ meetin’ and we’re not even close… This guy’s in trouble if we can’t get rid of him…” He looked at Akira, but Akira looked out into the distance, where a girl took care of the flowers in front of the school.

“What do you think will happen to him if we do get rid of the king?” Yuuki pondered. 

“Do you think it’ll be like the mental shutdown cases where they just die?” Ann asked, her eyes wide as she switched the way her legs were crossed. 

Ryuji slammed his hand on the desk he was sitting on. “That bastard would deserve it!” he shouted. “After what he did to Suzui and made Yuuki do!”

Ann’s expression settled into determination. “If we let him keep going, he’ll only keep hurting and using people,” she said. 

Yuuki nodded. “Yeah… I don’t want more people to get hurt.”

“I agree,” Akira said, fully joining to conversation once again. 

“So we’ve got to do our best to reach him,” Ryuji said, standing. Ann joined him.

“And when we do, we’ll take him down,” she agreed. Akira and Yuuki stood as well with determined nods. 

Fighting and training and becoming stronger, getting closer and closer to that moment when they could take King Kamoshida down- they never reached their goal. Akira was hit with a sleeping spell by a Shadow (the term was odd, but he’d heard it in one of his dissipating blue dreams, and couldn’t get rid of it…) and when he woke up, he was in his bed in the attic of Leblanc with the others sitting around him. Well, Ryuji and Yuuki were sitting on the edges of the bed, but Ann was laying next to him, curled against him and using his chest as a pillow.

“What happens now?” Yuuki asked after Sojiro had given them all dinner and left them alone. No one touched their food. 

“We wait for tomorrow,” Ann said sullenly, pushing her curry around on her plate. “And pray that you don’t really get expelled.”

The four met up again the next day, spending the time together as they waited for the results of the board meeting. Sojiro had left in a huff after getting the call to remind him about it, giving Akira a threatening look. Akira knew that if he was expelled, he’d be sent right back to juvie because Sojiro would refuse to keep him. It was one of the things he was constantly reminded of. 

The day slowly melted from morning into afternoon, then into evening, with no word from their guardians or the school. Anytime any of them went to do something, they stopped in the middle of it and returned to the booth they all sat in, anxious and unable to sit still but unwilling to do anything.

Sojiro, Ryuji’s mother, and Yuuki’s parents entered the cafe as it started to get dark out. Sojiro leaned against the countertop while the other adults simply stood. Sojiro pinched his brow in frustration as he let out a heavy.

“I guess I’ll break the news. All three of you should be very lucky to have such a kind teacher,” he said sternly. “Ms. Kawakami made an excellent argument for all three of you; since none of you physically laid a hand on Mr. Kamoshida, she said expulsion was too much and got the most of the other teachers on her side. Mishima, Sakamoto, you’ve been suspended. Two weeks. Sakamoto, you’re on probation at school, meaning one more screw up and you’re out.”

He turned to Akira, his eyes burning with fire. Akira stared at him blankly, not letting his emotions show through. 

“You’ve been transferred to a different school,” he said. “Kosei High School. It’s a much more prestigious school, and they’ve let you in on your academic records. You’re lucky they didn’t care to look at your criminal ones. This is your last chance, country boy. Screw up again, and you’re _out_.”

Akira nodded in understanding, and the others left. He laid awake in bed, unable to sleep, when his phone buzzed with a notification. He picked it up and read the group chat.

[ANN] I don’t think I’ll be able to stand it without you all there… 

[ANN] I’m going to be lonely, and still gotta deal with that bastard Kamoshida.

[RYUJI] Mom got my side of the story, and I gotta stay at the house

[RYUJI] but you prolly come over if you want

[ANN] That’s sweet of you, Ryuji…

[YUUKI] I’m stuck at home. Grounded for the next month.

[YUUKI] Also, I’ll probably be MIA too…

[YUUKI] They took away my phone until I go back to school so I gotta put it back before they wake up…

[YUUKI] Just wanted to let you know so you didn't worry

[ANN] Good luck!

[RYUJI] Hey, Akira, Boss gonna let you outta the house???

[RYUJI] If he does, you should come hang out with us

[ANN] He’s probably going to be busy with re-enrolling

[RYUJI] Man, that’s lame…

[ANN] It’s better than him going to jail!

[RYUJI] Shit man, you right!

[RYUJI] We’ll all meet up soon though, okay?

[AKIRA] It’s a deal.

Akira turned his phone off and drifted to sleep, his dreams full of strange dreams and painful memories. 

The next Monday, he walked into Kosei High School, wearing the dark uniform of the prestigious school, heading to Class 2-A. It was a little more freeing to listen to the rumors spiraling about the transfer student at Kosei… none of them mentioned his criminal record, and none of them knew about his reasons for transferring. 

“I’ll have you sit over by Kitagawa-kun,” Akira’s homeroom teacher said, gesturing him in the direction of a tall, angular boy who sketched in his seat, completely ignoring the world. “Try to get along, please? He likely won’t bother you when he’s busy with an art project, which is most of the time. But occasionally keep him focused in class, if you can. I won’t blame you if you won’t.”

Akira sat down by the boy stared at him for a moment, as if memorizing his features. He turned at looked over at Akira, his beautiful eyes taking in Akira’s profile. A small smile made its way to his face. “You’re aesthetically pleasing,” he said, and hushed whispers immediately went up around the room.

“There goes Kitagawa again…”

“He’s gonna scare off the cool new transfer student!”

“Man, I wish I could sit by the transfer instead of that weirdo…”

Akira ignored them, just as the boy did. “Thanks,” he said with a small smile of his own.


	2. The Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They accept him, because Akira accepted him. They were good friends, because that's what he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be literally nothing linear about this story. I'll try my best, but it originally started out as trying to give off that airy, told-too-many-times-to-remember-the-details kinda vibe, but now it's getting harder to keep to that idea. If you wanna bug out, here's the best spot to do it.

Hanging around Yusuke was like waiting out a storm. Nothing but brooding and rain for days, and then suddenly, a little sunshine in the form of a pleased smile and, if Akira was lucky, five minutes of conversation. 

Though it didn’t always rain, it always seemed like there was a cloud over Kosei, even though the school had a generally bright atmosphere. There also seemed to be a running joke in the school that the rain followed Yusuke around. 

And perhaps Akira’s deskmate was a little eccentric, and always focused on his art instead of anything else going on around him, but Akira didn’t find him nearly as gloomy as someone being followed by rain would suggest. 

Akira found welcomed silence when he was with Yusuke, unbothered by the other students that knew better than to try to disturb the artist when he was working. He’d simply ignore them anyway. 

But as May stretched on, Akira couldn’t help but watch Yusuke closely. His art was fantastic, and he was truly dedicated, but it began to worry Akira that it was the  _ only _ thing he focused on. He never ate lunch, and he was far too thin. Half the time, he looked like he was about to fall asleep at his desk or easel.

The last bell rang, two weeks after Ryuji and Yuuki’s suspension, and Akira stood and put a hand on Yusuke’s shoulder. Yusuke’s hand paused in the middle of a stroke of his pen, as though he was shocked out of his tunnel vision. He turned to look up at Akira.

“Ah, Kutsuru-san, was there something you needed?” he asked. 

“Come with me,” Akira said, making Yusuke’s eyes go wider. 

“My apologies, but I’m afraid I can’t. Sensei will be by in a few hours to pick me up…” Akira squeezed his shoulder gently, and Yusuke trailed off. He turned to look mournfully at his unfinished sketch. “I… don’t suppose I’ll get very far while working here any longer. Perhaps a change of scenery would grant me a spark of inspiration.”

Akira granted him one of his small smiles that truly showed his happiness. Yusuke packed up his things and messaged his sensei that he’d be making his own way home that day before following Akira out of the school.

A small weight seemed to lift off of Yusuke’s shoulders as they left the school and walked to the train station in amicable silence. There was only one transfer left before they reached Leblanc when Akira spotted his friends from Shujin. 

Yuuki was looking intently at his phone, his fingers moving at a rapid pace, as Ryuji and Ann bickered back and forth, fighting over something too far away to see. Both blondes broke apart and once they saw Akira. Ann raised her hand above her head and waved with a bright smile on her face. “Akira!” she cheered.

Akira gave a smile wave back with a fond smile. Yusuke looked between the group and Akira. “Is she your girlfriend?” he asked. 

Akira turned his fond smile on Yusuke. “I’d like her to be,” he said before leading Yusuke over to the group.

Ryuji jumped to his feet, the other quickly joining him, smiling that infectious smile of his. “Hey, man! You’re Yusuke Kitgawa, right? Aki’s told us so much about ya!”

“It’s  _ soooooo _ nice to finally meet you,” Ann agreed, smiling brightly. 

“It’s good to know he’s got someone to have his back at Kosei,” Yuuki said, making Yusuke’s eyes widen.

“P-Pardon?” he questioned. “I think you all might have the wrong impression…”

“You’re crowding him,” Akira said, making the others take a step back sheepishly. Yusuke gave a small sigh of relief.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Ryuji said, rubbing the back of his head. “We’ve just been worried ‘bout him, ya know? After everything that happened…”

Ann elbowed Ryuji harshly in the side. “Anyway, let’s go!” she cheered. “Onwards! I want Boss’s coffee and he promised to add a dessert menu!”

Ryuji scoffed as he trailed after Ann onto Akira’s last transfer of the day. “You’re gonna get fat if you eat that many sweets.”

“Tch! It’ll show that bastard I don’t give a shit what he thinks if I do!” As everyone piled onto the train, only Yusuke and Ann got seats while the others stood around them. Ann looked up and met Akira’s eyes. “Hey, Akira, do you think I should put on some more weight?”

Akira pondered her a moment, though he already knew his answer; “I’d always think you’re beautiful.”

Ann blushed a deep red and laughed giddily. “Oh, stop it,” she whined, hiding her cheeks behind her hand. Ryuji nudged Akira’s side with a snicker, and Akira smile fondly at him. 

“Ann-chan may not need to gain more weight, but you should really think about it, Kitagawa-kun!” Yuuki exclaimed. “You look way too thin…”

Yusuke’s eyes seemed to widen at Yuuki’s genuine concern. “I… Oh. Perhaps you’re right… but what would I do about all the art supplies I need…?”

The others all looked at each other, the need for a collective, exasperated sigh there but never voiced. 

The guise they were at Leblanc for was studying, but the entire time, not a single book was opened. They sat and talked, trading stories of school life and Ann bemoaning that she missed Akira sitting behind her because it’d basically been a sheild to prevent the other boys from ogling her all class.

Sojiro brought them up dinner as it started getting later, reminding them not to expect it too often because he  _ was _ running a business after all. Yusuke ate the rich curry like a starving dog. 

“You’ll have to give my compliments to Boss,” he said with a satisfied smile on his face. “That was the most satisfying meal I’ve had in some time.”

“You don’t cook a lot at home, do you?” Ann said, idly pushing her spoon around on her empty plate. 

“Well, I admit I would enjoy doing it more, but it is hard to do when there is nothing to do it with,” he said, before quickly moving onto the next subject and asking Ann about possibly being a model for his next art piece. It was difficult, and definitely a  _ no nudity _ agreement, but she said that as long as at least Ryuji and Akira were there, she’d do it.

The next week and a half was spent with Akira managing to take Yusuke along with him to Leblanc. The others always joined them, and Akira paid Sojiro for as many meals as he could for Yusuke to consume. He still never ate at school, so feeding him at Leblanc was the least Akira could do.

They let him sketch for a while at Leblanc, maybe an hour or two, but then Yuuki would sneakily take his sketchbook away and hide it, not giving it back until it was time for Yusuke to leave. Around so many energetic people, Yusuke seemed to grow more energetic as well, talking freely and not holding himself back. He was still a little eccentric, but that only made him more endearing.

But there was a day that Yusuke almost collapsed on the way to Leblanc. He was pale and delirious. Akira didn’t even manage to get him to Leblanc, but instead to him to the clinic down the street. 

“He’s sleep deprived and malnourished,” Dr. Takemi said after his checkup. “I gave him some liquids and something to knock him out, but make sure he eats when he wakes up. Kids these days…” 

Yusuke fell asleep on Akira’s bed, and stayed that way for several hours while Akira, Ryuji, Ann, and Yuuki waited around in near silence. When he woke, he took the plate of curry without complaint, but barely pushed the food around on it.

“I stayed up all night to complete a painting for Madarame-sensei’s art exhibit,” he said sullenly. 

“Madarame?” Ann asked in surprise. “Isn’t that the artist who painted  _ Sayuri _ ? I’ve seen him on TV! His exhibit will be held soon, and you get to showcase one of your paintings!? That’s so cool, Yusuke!”

Yusuke clenched his spoon so tightly in his hand that his knuckles went white. “No,” he said, his tone bitter.

“Huh?” Ann’s eyes went wide. 

Yusuke didn’t look up from the plate in his lap. “It will have no connection to me…” He straightened his back and handed the plat over to Akira. “Thank you for letting me rest, but I should really be going. Sensei has not been pleased with me arriving home so late.”

Yuuki frowned. “Yusuke… we’re sorry.”

“Yeah, man, we didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Ryuji agreed. 

“You should finish your food,” Akira told him, holding the plate back out. Hesitantly, Yusuke took it and sat back down on Akira’s bed. 

“…Thank you,” he said gratefully.

“If it helps, we know a thing or two about shitty adults using us,” Ann said bitterly. 

The others nodded along. “Kamoshida has… ruined basically all of our lives,” Yuuki said, though shrunk in on himself. “I… I have it better than them… and I… I know I was the cause…”

Ryuji clapped Yuuki’s shoulder. “Dude, we already forgave ya for that shit,” he said. “You’re one of us, deal with it.”

“He’s right,” Ann said, smiling beautifully despite the painful topic. She turned to Yusuke. “And you’re one of us too, now. So we’ve got your back. If you ever need any help, or if we can ever do anything, come talk to us, okay?”

Ryuji’s eyes widened. “What if we could do something?” he said, pulling out his phone. “What if Madarame’s got one’a those… thingys? Like Kamoshida?”

Yuuki’s eyes widened. “I never thought about that,” he said, pulling out his own phone. “We know we can access it from our phones and that weird app, but we don’t really know anything else. We’ve never tried to look anyone else up.”

Ryuji let out a small cheer. “Look, there’s a part that has related searches!” Akira and Ann looked over the shoulders of the other two while Yusuke watched them in both interest and confusion. Ryuji clicked on the tab.

At the top, there was a bar that said  **Kamoshida, Shujin Academy, pervert castle** , and below it there were other names that popped up.

Junya  **Ka** neshiro, Tokyo, bank { _ Because you searched for Kamoshida _ }

Masayoshi  **Shid** o, diet building, cruise { _ Because you search for Kamoshida _ }

Futaba Sakura, Sojiro Sakura’s house,  **tomb** { _ Because you searched for castle _ }

“Holy shit, there’s so many,” Ryuji said, going through the list of suggested Palaces.

“It’s freaky,” Ann agreed. “And who’s Futaba? Do you know, Akira?” Akira shook his head. He’d near heard of Futaba before. 

“But no Madarame,” Yuuki bemoaned. 

“If we search up somethin’ else, will we get more recommendations?” Ryuji asked.

“We should look at Kaneshiro’s!” Ann exclaimed. “I think I’ve heard of him on the news!”

Yuuki’s eyes widened. “It was a small segment, pretty late at night, where they suspected him of involvement in criminal activity, but they had no proof,” he said. 

“Let’s do it,” Akira said. 

Ryuji pressed on the suggestion for Kaneshiro, and the world jumbled around them. Yusuke jumped to his feet. “Wh-What’s going on!?” he shouted. 

The others looked over at him in horror. “Shit, we forgot about Yusuke,” Ryuji cursed. 

“But shouldn’t we explain it all to him like you did with me and Ann?” Yuuki said. 

“This is different- none of us actually have any ties to Kaneshiro,” Ann pointed out. Yusuke continued to look at them like they were crazy.

“Let’s go explore,” Akira said, standing and putting his hands in his pockets. 

The others followed him downstairs into the main part of the cafe. No one was there, and everything seemed tinted a sickly green from the light filtering from outside. There was no sound but their footfalls on the linoleum. 

The streets, once they’d made their way out there, was very much the same. No cars moved on the road and no trains flew through the tracks. The group walked all they way to Central Street, where more and more they saw moving ATMs, several of them broken and just strewn across the ground.

“What… What is this place?” Yusuke questioned as they stopped in the middle of the street. “Where are all the people? Why does… everything appear like this?”

“We don’t really know,” Ryuji said, kicking his foot and dislodging a rock on the ground.

“It’s really different from Kamoshida’s,” Ann said, looking around in amazement. “It’s so… weird.”

Yusuke frowned. “That… doesn’t really answer anything,” he said, growing frustrated. 

“It’s like a different world,” Yuuki explained, though he looked like he struggled to find the right words. After all, none of them really knew anything about the app or other worlds. “Kamoshida never remembered what we did in his world, so we believe that they’re unawares of when we enter. And we’ve theorized that it’s possible for anyone to have one, as long as we know their trigger words.”

“How strange and befuddling…” Yusuke mused. He looked around, taking in the scenery. “It’s… an excellent scope for the imagination, at least.”

Ann folded her arms behind her back and leaned on one leg. “Well, I don’t think this is much of a threat to us,” she said, turning to face the boys. “We haven’t been attacked yet and our clothes haven’t changed, so I don’t think we need to worry about Kaneshiro. I think we’ll be fine to leave him be.”

“Besides, we can’t even use our Personas without our masks,” Yuuki agreed. “Let’s go back.”

They walked back to Leblanc, explaining all that they knew to Yusuke. They explained their plan to fight King Kamoshida, under the idea that defeating him would change the real one. When they returned to the attic and left the Palace, Ryuji pulled out his phone. 

“Oh shit, look!” he exclaimed. “Madarame’s name’s right there!”

Masayoshi  **Shid** o, diet building, cruise { _ Because you search for Kaneshiro _ }

Ichiryusai Madarame, shack,  **museum** { _ Because you searched for  _ _bank_ }

Sae Nijima,  **supreme court** ,  **casino** { _ Because you searched for  _ _Tokyo_ _ & _ _bank_ }

Yusuke’s face could have been set in stone from the hard expression he held. “So Sensei does indeed have one of those… worlds,” he said, frowning. 

“Now that we know, we could probably do something about him,” Yuuki said. 

Yusuke hesitated perhaps a moment too long before shaking his head. “There’s no need,” he said. “I’ll be fine. You have said yourselves you do not know the truth behind these worlds. How would you change anything in this world if they do not remember the other?”

He made a valid point, and the others stayed frozen in silence as they thought about it. Finally, Akira spoke up. “Tells us if you change your mind,” he said, and Yusuke nodded in understanding. 

“I will let you know,” he promised. Akira walked his friends to the train station before going back to Leblanc. His phone lit up in the middle of the night with a message from the group chat.

[ANN] !!!!!

[ANN] Shiho woke up!!!


	3. The Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rarely ever is the truth uttered in the light.

Shiho still had months of recovery to do before she’d be allowed out of the hospital, and she vehemently refused to talk about the incident that had made her try to jump off the roof. Well, she refused with anyone other than Akira and friends. She said it was because no one else believed her, or they tried to blame it on her. It made Ann sick to her stomach, and the others felt similarly.

While Ann took to visiting Shiho in the hospital, Akira continued to take Yusuke to Leblanc after school. Some days, one or a mixture of the others would join them, but even if it was just the two, they established a routine. A routine pulled apart at the seams by the sight of a limo outside of the school gates as Akira and Yusuke went to leave.

Yusuke froze at Akira’s side. The way he grit his teeth and how his hands tensed into fists would have been completely impossible to notice had Akira not known him better. “Madarame,” Akira said, staring at the limo. Though it hadn’t been a question, Yusuke nodded. 

He hesitated a long moment before saying anything, and even then, he strained to make the words come out. “Truth be told, I do not wish to return,” he admitted. “I… hate returning at the end of the night. But I cannot just abandon Sensei, not when I’m the only one left.”

Akira gently squeezed Yususke’s shoulder before exiting the gates together. Madarame’s window rolled down, and he smiled serenely at Yusuke. “I almost forgot what you looked like in the daylight,” the old man teased, and Yusuke turned his head away. 

“I apologize, Sensei,” he said. 

Madarame turned his eyes to Akira. “This must be the one who’s been keeping you from your duties,” he said, his voice still obviously kind, but an underlying backhand in it.

“He’s had artist block,” Akira said, his expression blank. 

Yusuke’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Akira. He cleared his throat before turning back to Madarame. “Ah… yes. I didn't want to worry you, Sensei, so Kutsuru-kun has been helping me in finding fresh inspiration.”

Though he continued to smile, Madarame’s gaze was stone cold. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” he said. “However, I’m afraid that we must depart today. You’ll have to excuse us, young man.”

Akira gave Yusuke a look out of the corner of his eye and Yusuke nodded slightly, just enough for Akira to notice. “I should be going,” Yusuke said, going over to Madarame’s car. “Take care.”

“Yeah,” Akira said, holding his hand up in a small wave. Yusuke got into the car and disappeared with Madarame. 

The next several days, there was no time for Yusuke to spare for Akira or the others. Madarame dropped him off only early enough that he wasn’t late to class, and was waiting for him the moment class got out. The bags under his eyes grew darker and his skin grew paler as the days went on.

“You need a break,” Akira told him.

“I cannot,” Yusuke said, his hands shaking as he tried to paint at lunch time. “I must… Senseni’s exhibit… He’s had such terrible artist block… he needs my help…”

“You’re running ragged.”

Yusuke froze and dropped his brush. He hung his head mournfully but didn’t reach to retrieve it. “You are right…” he finally said quietly. “But what can I do, Akira? Sensei is all I have. Ever since my mother died, it has been Sensei that took care of me. I cannot just abandon him in his hour of need. What am I supposed to do?”

“Come with us,” Akira said. 

Yusuke looked up at Akira with wide eyes. “To that… world? Sensei’s? That… I don’t know if I…” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Um, perhaps you’d like to call the others? I shall give you my address. It could very easily be described as a shack, so I believe that would be our entrance…”

Their first step into Madarame’s Palace was grotesque. It was even more glaringly hideous than Kamoshida’s. It wasn’t so hard, sneaking in, even if the other had to support Yusuke as he didn't have a Persona. 

The further they went, the more disgusted they became. Yusuke became ever more pale the more he saw. The paintings hung up on the walls sickened him, recognizing each of the people in them. 

“It’s horrible,” Ann said, her hand on the frame to Yusuke’s portrait. “I don’t want to hink of what this means…”

Ryuji put a comforting hand on Ann’s shoulder. “We should continue on,” he said.

“He’s right,” Yuuki said. “We haven’t see Madarame yet. We have no idea where he’d be at this point.”

“Looking for me? Then look no further, you little rats.”

When the group turned, there stood a garish man dressed in gold. None other than Madarame, the abuser himself. 

Abuse, neglect, plagiarism, what easily counted as murder… Admitting to it all was what drove Yusuke to awaken his Persona. They had to leave then, so Yusuke could recover. But it was Yusuke himself who was most adamant about going back into Madarame’s Palace and making him pay for the crime of letting his mother die.

It wasn’t hard, going through the Palace, until about halfway in when they encountered a painted door. 

“It’s exactly the same as a door at home,” Yususke said. “I have never been allowed through it, however.”

“Think that’s why we can’t go through?” Ryuji pondered. 

“You know, you might actually be onto something,” Yuuki said. “If Madarame’s cognition is that he’s the only one who can go through, it only shows reason that we’d have to give him proof that someone  _ can _ get through.”

Yusuke scrunched his eyebrows together. “But Sensei- Madarame is the only one with a key,” he said. “I do not have one to open it.”

“Oh! Can’t we pick the lock?” Ann suggested. “They do it all the time in the movies!”

“I have lockpicks,” Akira said, holding up the small bag he kept them in. 

“Oh yeah! You know how to pick locks!” Ryuji said, his eyes lighting up with obvious admiration. “Dude, you’re so cool!”

Ann bit her bottom lip. “But it’d be seriously bad if he got into trouble again,” she pointed out hesitantly. “He barely got out of expulsion once, remember? If he got caught breaking and entering…”

“Does anyone else know how?” Yusuke asked, looking around the group. “Unfortunately, that is an art form I did not master.”

Ryuji and Ann looked away, but Yuuki hesitantly raised his hand while blushing brightly. “Uh… I do? I- I really wanted to impress this girl… but she already knew I was a big dork so it was too late…”

Ann grinned slyly at him, but didn’t have a chance to say anything about it as Yusuke continued on. “I shall let you into the house when Sensei is there again,” he said. 

“I think we should do this at night,” Ryuji said. “Y’know, all cool like. Like ninjas, man!”

Yuuki gave Ryuji a blank look. “Our powers don’t work in the real world,” he said, as thought explaining it to a small child. “There’s no way I could do anything I do here over there.”

Ryuji went bright red. “But- But c’mon, man!” he exclaimed, wildly waving his arms around. “You get what I’m sayin’, don’tcha? I mean, you’d get in trouble too if you were caught. Go in at night like a theif with your face all covered, and he won’t even know it’s you!”

Yusuke pondered the suggestion for a moment. “Ryuji does indeed have a point,” he said finally. “And even if the police were called, as long as you made it into the Palace before they showed up, there would be no proof that you were there.”

“You really think I could do it?” Yuuki asked, looking at Yusuke hopefully. Yusuke nodded. 

“You’re very capable in your own right,” he said. “And I shall be there the entire time. It would be ideal that Sen- Madarame did not come across you until the opportune moment.”

Yuuki smiled brightly at him. “Thanks,” he said. 

“Let’s meet up tomorrow then,” Ryuji said. “After school.”

“Got it,” Ann said with a nod. 

Akira stuck his hands in his pockets and nodded as well. “I’ll make curry.”

Ann squealed. “Akira’s coffee and curry to fend off the boredom!” she cheered. 

“Remember soda for me!” Ryuji said as they headed for the exit.

“Nope.”

“Awe, c’mon man!”

“Bring it yourself, Ryuji,” Ann teased, dancing out of his reach.

They were almost there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I am conflicted about side ships. Well, we'll see how things play out. But you should know that comments can occasionally influence me.


	4. Night in The Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never trust a man in a black mask. Unless, you know, he's on your side.

It was almost comically easy to hide out in Madarame’s Palace. Akira had somehow managed to bring enough curry and coffee to sustain them for a week, and even some vending machine drinks even though he said he wouldn’t. 

Ann, Ryuji, and Akira had even gone out to fight some Shadows when boredom had taken its toll. Akira had taught some of his Personas some new moves and collected some more, and both Ann and Ryuji had learned a new skill, so they felt verified in calling it ‘training’ instead of ‘killing time.’

Defacing Madarame’s golden statue had really had no other purpose, though. 

Eventually, they headed over to the large painted door to wait for Yuuki and Yusuke to accomplish their mission. They sat in the artificial grass surrounding it, Ann’s head in Akira’s lap and her feet on Ryuji’s.

“My parents are overseas, so I don’t have to tell them anything,” Ann said, “but what about you two?”

“Said I was spending the night at this guy’s,” Ryuji said, gesturing to Akira.

“Told boss I was with Ryuji,” Akira said with a nod.

Ann frowned. “But what are you gonna do if one of them calls the other one?” she questioned. “Like… Boss calls Ryuji’s mom and they figure out neither of you were where you said you were going to be?”

“We were with you,” Akira said with a shrug. 

Ann jerked up into a sitting position and punched him on the arm. “But what are we gonna do if they call me!?” she shrieked. “You know very well that phones don’t work in this world!”

Ryuji smirked. “Obviously we couldn’t hear it over you moaning--”

“What!?” Ann shrieked. She tackled Ryuji to the ground as Akira watched in amusement. “Why are you making up such weird scenarios!?”

“C’mon, what else would you do in a situation like that!?” Ryuji protested as Ann shook his shoulders harshly. “And why am I the only one getting beat up!?”

Ann frowned before moving away from him. She folded her arms and stuck her nose up in the air. “Because it was  _ obviously _ your idea,” she said. 

“But it totally wasn’t!” Ryuji complained. 

“He’s right,” Akira said, pressing a quick kiss to Ann’s cheek and making her go a bright red, almost identical to the color of her suit, as he tumbled off of Ryuji.

Ann folded her arms with a pout. “I can’t believe either of you!” she exclaimed. 

Before any sort of retorted comment could be said, a black clad figure approached the trio. They froze, watching as the figure approached. Akira stood, shielding Ryuji and Ann. The figure, a man or boy, it was hard to tell his age, stopped only a few paces away from the group.

“Who are you?” Ryuji questioned as he and Ann joined Akira. 

The other smirked, and it almost seemed as if the shadows bended towards him. “I suppose I could ask you the same thing,” he said. 

Ann gripped Akira’s sleeve tightly. “Don’t mess with us! We know how to fight!” she declared, even though her hands were shaking. The other world’s monsters were one thing, but this person looked very much  _ real _ . And that was something else entirely.

“It seems we’re quite alike then,” the figure said. “It’s quite likely we’ll be at an impasse if we choose to engage in combat, so I hope to resolve this peacefully. What are you doing here?”

“Waiting on a friend,” Akira said.

“All we’re tryin’ to do is help someone in trouble,” Ryuji stated. “So how ‘bout you stay outta it, huh?”

The figure chuckled, though his tone wasn’t quite amused. “Unfortunately, I can’t just let you do that,” he said. “That would make my boss very angry. We’d loose a lot of revenue if you were to kill him.”

“You won’t stop us,” Akira said, hands clenching.

“Right!” Ann exclaimed. “A dear friend will die if we do nothing!”

“Yusuke thought of Madarame as his own father, but the bastard only treated him like a pawn, an effin’ slave!” Ryuji growled. “We ain’t gonna let that keep happenin’!”

The figure seemed to contemplate their small group. “Whatever your aim is, it seems that you’re unable to go through-”

There was a small click as the electric poles shut off and went back into the ground. Akira smirked. 

“You were saying?”

The figure chuckled. “It seems I have underestimated you. But you have swayed me. Madarame is no doubt despicable, otherwise he would not have a Palace. However, your story has been quite informative. We do not need his kind to disrupt our aims. If you do not wish me to remain, I will not stop you in your goal, however… Will you allow me to accompany you?”

Akira looked between Ann and Ryuji, who both looked hesitant. But they were down two members, and more would make it easier to fight. He turned back to the figure.

“For now,” he said, before leading the way inside the building on the other side of the garden.

* * *

Around sunset the day of the planned heist, Yuuki found himself on a bench just a couple blocks from Yusuke’s house. He had earbuds in and his backpack by his side. To any passerby, he looked like he was waiting for the bus to arrive. But the phone wasn’t on, no music played. He fidgeted nervously with the cord of his earbuds, waiting for confirmation from Yusuke that Madarame had retired for the night.

Yusuke’s text came shortly after the last golden rays of daylight slipped behind the building across the street. Yuuki stood, shoving both phone and earbuds into the pocket of his jacket, and headed for the shack. The only light on was the one in Yusuke’s room, and it turned off shortly after the first several stars peaked into the sky.

Yuuki pulled his phone back out and leaned against the side of the house, pulling his hood over his head as he sunk down to the ground. It was harder to hack using his phone- not enough space between buttons for his fast moving fingers- and usually more traceable. He’d taken special care to make sure that wasn’t the case, but it still took him a good fifteen minutes to get into Madarame’s security system. The shack didn’t have a good one, because he didn’t care too much about the shack or inhabitants, but still, there  _ were  _ nights Madarame stayed there.

Yuuki shot Yusuke a text telling him he was going in before taking the lockpicks Akira had provided and working on the lock on the nearest window. The window stuck due to rust for a good minute before Yuuki managed to push it in with a loud shriek.

He froze for a moment, hoping that no one had heard him. It would be bad if he was caught already. When no sound of footsteps sounded, Yuuki climbed through the window and shut it behind him. He wouldn’t be going out that way anyway.

Silently, he made his way to the second floor, feeling along the wall until he came to the hallway where the strange door was. Moonlight filtered through the window on it, casting it in a shining silver. It was the only extravagant thing in the house, the only thing with a touch of color. 

And the only thing with a lock that  _ huge _ . Yuuki pulled out the lockpicks, carefully choosing one to slip into the lock. It wasn’t exactly a hard lock, but it was time consuming to get it right. 

“Ah, you’re still busy.”

Yuuki jumped and almost broke his lockpick when he whirled around to see Yusuke standing there, illuminated by the moonlight, looking even more handsome than he did in daylight.

Yuuki breathed a sigh of relief and shoved his hood off. “Almost done,” he promised. “Gimme just another minute before you get him over here.”

Yusuke nodded and leaned against the wall as he watched Yuuki get back to work. With a final click, Yuuki nodded to Yusuke. Yuske returned it before moving out of the hallway. The conversation between Yusuke and Madarame was muffled- Yusuke saying he’d been awoken by a loud crash from downstairs, had gone to investigate and some of his finished work had been stolen, then witnessed a black clad figure going upstairs- but it had the desired effect of brining Madarame to him.

It was only once Yuuki heard the sound of the old man’s terrified panting that he took the lock off the door and threw it down the hallway.

“Sensei, there!” Yusuke shouted, running forward to Yuuki. 

Madarame already had his phone as as Yuuki kicked the door open. In a split second, he looked between Madarame and Yusuke and pulled Yusuke to him, his back to Yuuki’s chest. Yuuki pulled a blunt replica of a sai out and pressed it to Yusuke’s neck.

“Put the phone down unless you want to loose your precious student,” Yuuki said, trying to lower his voice as much as it would go. Not that it was much. He wasn’t used to doing it. Madarame dropped his phone as Yuuki backed into the dark room, pulling Yusuke along with him. 

Yuuki pulled the string in the middle of the room to turn the light on… and they were immediately surrounded by countless copies of  _ Sayuri _ . Yusuke looked around, his eyes wide.

“You got your phone on you?” Yuuki whispered as he dropped his arms, and Yusuke nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”

Yusuke pulled out his phone and activated the app to take them to the other world. When the world settled, they stood in front of the open gate in the other world. Akira, Ann, and Ryuji ran out of it, followed by a black clad figure.

“Great timing!” Ann cheered. “We found a safe room! It’s super cool too!”

“Beds, man!” Ryuji exclaimed excitedly. “Didn’t know museums had backrooms with those.”

“I’ve hypothesized that its real world counterpart is a bedroom of some sort, hence why there are beds,” the black clad figure said. Yuuki and Yusuke stared at him, a mixture of confusion and distrust written on their faces.

“Let’s go,” Akira said, his tone saying more than his words.  _ We’ll explain later _ .

The group arrived in the safe room, larger than most of the others they’d seen. Three beds took up the room, against every wall that wasn’t the one with the door. Ann groaned as she sunk down on one, laying flat on her back with her legs dangling off. 

“Stay if you like, but I don’t like the idea of staying in this world long enough to sleep,” the figure said. “Perhaps we will meet again.”

Akira nodded. “Sure.” With a smirk, the figure left the room. 

Ryuji picked Ann up and moved her so she was settled differently on the bed, laying on it properly, before crawling onto it with her. Ann snuggled into his side sleepily. “I’m sooooo tired,” she said before yawning. “Just wanna take a catnap before we get back to it, yanno?”

Ryuji snorted. “Was that a pun?”

“Too tiiiiiired,” Ann whined, lightly smacking him, no real strength behind it.

“My intuition tells me we are close to the end,” Yusuke said, sitting on another of the beds. “We should rest up before returning to battle.”

“Agreed,” Yuuki said. 

Akira nodded once more before joining Ryuji and Ann on the bed with Ryuji in the middle. Yuuki took the remaining bed, sleep taking everyone not long after. 

When they woke, they fought their way through all the way to the main exhibition room where Madarame stood guard with several Shadows. 

“We’re sure he’ll be there tomorrow?” Yuuki asked, receiving confirming nods.

“We’ve gotten past everything else, it stands to reason that he would remain in the depths as the last line of defence,” Yusuke said. 

Ryuji clicked his tongue. “Gotta question what that floating thing is, though,” he said, folding his arms. “Think it’s special or somethin’?”

“The way he’s guarding it?” Ann said. “Definitely.”

“Maybe we can ask that other guy about it,” Yuuki offered. 

“Great idea, but  _ how _ ?”

Everyone grew silent at that. He was just another guy in a mask, someone they didn’t know the identity of or his purpose. He said he wouldn’t stop them, but still… 

“A problem for another day,” Akira said. “Let’s go home and get prepared.”

They left the Metaverse and returned to the real world, parting ways reluctantly. (And with several calls from Sojiro and Mrs. Sakamoto to Ann and she reddened at the reminder of the conversation from before- “Oh, it wasn’t  _ me _ who was being loud, it was definitely  _ Ryuji _ !” she declared as they walked down the street)

The group spent the next several days preparing for the fight against Madarame. Now that the entire place had been mapped out, it wouldn’t matter if he moved, but better safe than sorry.

They all met up after school, as usual, the day of the fight and headed to Leblanc. There was a single customer at the counter, a young man with shaggy brown hair drinking a cup of coffee. He turned towards the group when they entered, giving them a familiar smirk.

“Hello, everyone,” he greeted. “My name is Goro Akechi, and I believe we’ve met once before.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A problem for another day," Akira says about Akechi.  
> "A problem for another day," I say about my grammar and spelling.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi joins the team, but peace is never abound.

Everyone looked at the trio that was Akira, Ryuji, and Ann and just sort of  _ knew _ there was something going on there. The most obviously conclusion was that Akira and Ann were dating- the cool, silent top student from Kosei and the beautiful model from Shujin were perfect for each other. But then- Ryuji was so tender with Ann sometimes, and sometimes she’d get  _ that _ smile, only for Ryuji to see- and what if they were together…? But the casual affection between Akira and Ryuji did not go unnoticed, either. How their touches lingered like their gazes, how they could speak without using words.

If anyone had bothered to ask, they’d discover that all were correct. They were all together, equal in the relationship. If anyone asked, they wouldn’t be able to tell you how it started. 

Was it the night Akira had been expelled, and Ann fell asleep on his chest? Was it in the weeks following, Ryuji had accidentally kissed Akira in his bedroom after school, or when Akira kissed him back with purpose?

Had it been after meeting Yusuke, when Ann had accidentally told Ryuji she loved him in the middle of the hallway after he saved her from another hounding from Kamoshida? Had it been when Ryuji had said it back?

If you asked Ann or Ryuji, they wouldn’t be able to tell you. It happened so sudden and fast, an abrupt realization of a truth they’d always known. If you asked Akira… he would tell you the exact day he had fallen in love. The day he started Shujin Academy and saw the most beautiful blondes he’d ever laid eyes on.

Close proximity and quiet protective instincts were not uncommon. Ann and Ryuji held Akira’s hands under the table in an empty Leblanc, Yuuki and Yusuke at the bar and Akechi sitting across from the trio. 

“I would like to offer a deal,” Akechi explained, black gloved hands folded in front of him. He looked many years older than the teenager he was. “You need someone with metaverse experience to show you the ropes, and I need a team who can use powers on the other side for a rather troublesome mission. If you will aid me in my own endeavors, I will gladly offer my own abilities for you to use as you see fit.”

“You’ll help us take down Madarame?” Ryuji questioned, skeptical.

“A give and take,” Akechi said, unfazed. “I will help you with Madarame, you help me with my own task. If you wish to end our deal there, we can do so. For every time you ask for my aid, I am allowed to call on you when I need your’s.”

Ann looked over at Akira, hesitance in her beautiful blue eyes. “What do you think, leader?” she asked, voice soft.

Akira met Akechi’s eyes. In another lifetime, he would have been met with descit, hatred, a silencer to his temple. In another lifetime where he remembers a blue prison cell as anything but a passing dream. In another lifetime where they were not desperate, where the rules of the game were fixed and could not be changed.

“It’s a deal,” Akira said, because it was not another lifetime.

They returned to Madarame’s palace that night, confronting the Shadow Madarame in his little security room. Ann, Ryuji, and Yuuki focused on the security guard shadows while Akira, Akechi, and Yusuke ran straight towards Madarame.

They were all a little worse for the wear by the time the battle was done and the gaudy museum began to crumble around them, but they all made it out alive.

Madarame was announced dead the next day. The media reports said he’d had a heart attack while at his exhibit. 

The group gathered, numb with the knowledge of what they had done.

“The only thing I mourn,” Yusuke said, regretfully and pained, “is the man I had wished he was.”

Because Madarame had been his legal guardian, with Yusuke his adopted son, Yusuke inherited everything. The money, the shack (along with his other, more permanent residence), all the profits made off of the artwork Madarame had ‘made.’ Overnight, Yusuke had become the wealthiest of the group once the will had been enacted. (A falsified will, a favor from Akechi, where ‘Madarame’ admitted to using his pupils’ work and claiming it for his own.)

“I have no idea what I am supposed to do now,” Yusuke admitted. “Nothing… feels different. He was… hardly about, anyway. His presence is not missed. How does one live with this much money in their bank account…?”

“All the beef bowls you can eat, dude!” Ryuji exclaimed, almost already drooling at the thought.

Ann frowned and lightly kicked him. “Gross. Wipe the drool off.”

“Drool-? Ack! Sorry.”

Akechi, with loosely folded arms, lightly tapped his fingers on his elbow. “I would hope that you’ll continue to support our cause,” he said. “My… employer is not exactly pleased with this recent development.”

Yusuke’s eyes turned serious after a thoughtful moment. “Of course,” he declared. “That is the least I can do.”

Akechi smirked. “I look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Five became six. Most of Akechi’s mission from a nameless superior were solo missions, but he made good on his promise to call on the others. Enough that the others called him for no reason than to do so, enough that he was included with their group meetups to go to the movies or go out to eat, or the sleepovers in Yusuke’s new mansion.

Months passed in this way, and it seemed he had seamlessly evolved from their contact to a mysterious employer to to something along the lines of a friend. He was there when Shiho was released from the hospital, and at the surprise party held for her at Leblanc. He was the one to drive Akira, Ann, and Shiho to Shujin to give her one last look from the school rooftop.

Akechi is there, mere days before summer break, when Ann, Ryuji, and Yuuki are late meeting up after school. He is there the moment Yuuki crashes through the door of Leblanc, and Ryuji comes through moments later, holding a sobbing Ann in his arms. 

He’s there to witness one of the rare moments of terror that cross Akira’s face as he shoots across the room to hold Ann tightly, running his fingers through her hair and murmuring softly as she cries. 

Yuuki doubled over, trying to catch his breath, hands on his knees. “He ran the entire way,” Yuuki explained between gasps. “Ann- She- We were waiting- Outside the gate- Was crying so hard she couldn’t stand- Ryuji picked her up- Ran all the way here-”

Yuuki fell into a coughing fit, trying to catch his breath. Yusuke patted his back, passing him a class of water. When they looked over to where Ann was curled between Ryuji and Akira, there was a feral look in her eyes, her fingers curled tightly into Akira’s shirt while Ryuji held tightly onto her from behind.

“I’m gonna kill him,” she hissed. “I’m going to kill him.”

In the months between, when spring first began to bleed into summer, Akechi had seen as these underclassmen had changed. He was not shy about their targets, about how corrupt these public figures he changed were. But that was the least that had slowly begun to corrupt them.

Ann, Ryuji, and Yuuki still suffered daily under the palm of Suguru Kamoshida. Yuuki had been kicked off the volleyball team, and all that had caused was shame. People stopped trying to be quiet when calling Ann a slut or Kamoshida’s bitch. Ryuji… it had not changed much, but he felt the abuse more now that he had these two to protect. It had hardened their backs and stares, making their strikes more hateful and violent in the Metaverse. 

Akira and Yusuke’s had changed as well. Methodical, fast, deadly. With Yusuke in the public eye due to Madrame’s death, he had more attention on him than ever. Those who used to sell Madarame’s fakes or who wanted to get their hands on Yusuke’s fortune hounded him endlessly. People stayed away from him now, not because of his quirkiness, but because of his quickly chilled demeanor. 

Akechi had not been the only one to watch these changes. Akira had watched as well. Akira, closer to them than Akechi would ever be, watched this abuse harm and change his friends. And this changed him too.

They were bitter, hateful, with a drive for vengeance. Just like Akechi.

It built a swell in his chest at being surrounded by so many like minded individuals, but a bitter taste in his mouth at the feeling  _ “This is wrong.” _

“I offer my assistance,” Akechi said, holding a hand to his chest. “Please, let me help you in this mission.”

“It means a lot, to hear that coming from a friend,” Ann said, standing in front of Akechi, her blue eyes as freezing cold as Yusuke’s ice.

A friend. Helping a friend. Take away the abuser, and help the abused reclaim their innocence. There need be only one who had a mind as twisted as he.


End file.
